Bangalore Christ University Spring 2011
'A Little Bit About Me' Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and I was a third year at Poly when I went on the USAC spring semester program (Jan - Jun) to Christ University in Bangalore. I've always enjoyed traveling and been to Far East Asia and Western Europe prior to this. I was looking for a major change of pace and India definitely fit the bill. ---- 'Packing' I packed pretty light for this trip, mainly because I planned to travel afterwards. So I managed to fit all my things in a 65 liter backpack and a large suitcase which I later left behind. Really depends on your person. Here's some essentials: *''Toiletries'' (Floss is extremely hard to find so bring plenty) *''Power Converter'' (You can buy one there but it costs as much or more. 240V 50Hz) *''Clothes'' - Southern India is very conservative when it comes to dress. Men wear slacks or jeans. Shorts don't really fly here though being a foreigner you might get away, but let's try not to offend. At the campus, business casual is the dress code. I bought all my dress clothes in Bangalore (I paid about $7/shirt and you can get clothes tailored very cheap) For women, you can either go business casual, traditional sari, or other interesting traditional clothes. Definitely more fun than the guys. I would recommend bringing just enough clothes to get through a week because clothes are so much cheaper in India relative to the states. *''Phone'' - India uses GSM, so if you have a GSM phone you're good to go. And if you do not have a phone you can buy a very basic Nokia for $17. I would recommend buying the phone in India, it gets the job done and less worry of losing a nice phone. Once you have a phone just go to any phone/electronics store to get a SIM card. Vodafone and Airtel get the best coverage (the AT&T/Verizon of India). You can get a prepaid talk/text plan for less than $10 starting, once you use it up just go back to the store and ask for a recharge, local minutes here are dirt cheap. *''Money'' - Bring some US dollars with you, it always comes in handy $100 - $200 will more than suffice. And if you don't have a debit card, get one! Do not exchange your cash unless you absolutely must. Dollars are valuable here and atms will give you a really good exchange rate so get your rupees from the atm. *Carrying Bag/Small Backpack - Always good to have something light when walking round town. *Medicine - You'll find that there are plenty of affordable, readily available pharmacies and hospitals in case you do happen to get very sick, so no worries. I didn't happen to get sick much, but others in my group got food posioning quite a bit so a jar of anything for the stomach could come in handy. ---- 'The Flight' Brace yourself. Yes it is a 24 plus hour flight from California no matter which way you fly! ---- 'Arrival' Ah the airport, a bustling, crowded, hectic space and your first taste of India. But really it's not so bad. Once off the plane you're directed to immigration, which is a really quick and smooth process, assuming you brought all the right paperwork. And so it begins. Group Flight Arrival - If you arrived on the group flight you'll be able to meet up with your fellow study abroad students at immigration if you haven't already, just watch out for the lost looking group of foreigners :) There will be a representative outside the airport with a bus from Christ University to pick everyone up and take them to the apartment complex/school. Solo Arrival - I flew in on the group flight, but there were a couple of people who couldn't catch that flight. Some ended up catching a taxi to the school later on. Others arranged with Christ University to be picked up when they arrived. ---- 'Moving In' There are a few options for housing which you will have already chosen prior to arriving. There is NGV (national games village) apartments, on campus residence (girls only), and your own apartment. I stayed at NGV but also crashed at a friend's, who chose to get his own apartment. So I can speak about both from experience. I do not know of anyone who stayed on campus so I'll just mention briefly what I know. *'NGV' - By far the easiest and most popular option, NGV is a gated apartment complex that was originally built for athletes during the hosting of the Indian National Games some years back. It is now rented out to regular families and individuals. The apartments are located about 20-30 minutes walking distance from the school. The neighborhood is not very glamorous but it is very safe with lots of families and children around. And it is conveniently close to school with lots of restaurants and grocery stores near by. You are most likely going to share a room, depending on the number of students and rooms available. My apartment had five people including myself, all exchange students at Christ University, and we managed to get along great. Place comes with a washer, no dryer but there is an attached balcony to hang clothes. There is also internet, though you will need to buy a router for wireless. Hot water? Depends. Only one of our bathrooms had hot water and you can only use it for so long. They don't have central heating there, instead there is a small water heater that provides 10 minutes worth of hot water before it needs to recover. There is also a kitchen with a gas stove if you like to cook. Again it is not the most glamorous of places, but it does give you a good taste of India! *'Private Apartment' - This is a tricky option with its pros and cons. My friend had a cousin who was living in Bangalore and arranged a place for him in a nice central area. So the pros. You can pick and choose your location. Rent is comparable to NGV option. Can definitely find nice setups. More privacy, quieter. Now the cons. It takes more work to find your own (nice) place in India, and it can be quite difficult if you don't know people. There are a lot more available bad places than nice ones. But probably the most important is that you don't get to hang out with the USAC gang as much if you were on your own. *'On Campus Residence' - FYI This is for women only! Basically you live on campus like the dorms at Poly however I got the impression it was more strict. There is an RA just like the dorms and there is also a curfew that you have to be back in the dorms by a certain time, and from what I recall it was not very late. You do get the benefit of being closer with the native Indian students though which is pretty awesome. ---- 'And So It Begins' Week 1 The first week feels really hectic and fast paced. Classes don't start so you have the week to adjust and get things in order. On day 1 Jacob, our program coordinator, set us up with a local student buddy to get us acquanted with the area. They are really nice and know their stuff so they showed us around for an afternoon. What you do really depends on your buddy, but just let them lead you around a normal day and I guarantee you'll have a good time. The next few days Jacob shows us around campus and also a short tour of town. He should point out the bus routes and walks to school along with the worthwile tourist sites. Jacob's a funny easy going guy who's been living in Bangalore most his life. Be sure to have Jacob's number on hand in case you ever run into trouble or just have some questions. After day two, you are on your own. The rest of the week is yours to do whatever. My roommates and I wandered around the neighborhod together a lot this week, plenty of good places to explore and get to know each other. One thing you'll find very exciting is learning to cross traffic in India. Also it's a good opportunity to get your phones and sim cards. Another thing worth mentioning is the police registration office. Anyone who is living in India must register with the local police department who will issue you a residence certificate. While Jacob and Ms. Florence (the admin superwoman) will handle all the intricate paperwork involved everyone still has to go to the police station to register in person. We ended up breaking into two groups on two seperate days. The ordeal literally lasts an entire day because of the long queue. If you intend to stay in India after the end of your study program be sure to ask Ms. Florence about an extension. Ms. Florence is much more involved in this process and knows the loop holes to get the extension. She may have to pay a 'fee' to the officials which will probably cost you around $20 for the extension but it's well worth it. Classes Start (Just a note, I was taking classes on the USAC calendar versus the regular Christ University calendar because the Christ University academic semester had already begun. The difference is you will be attending classes with local students on the Christ University calendar versus study abroad students on USAC.) The classes are definitely different than Cal Poly. USAC courses are geared toward international students who are new to India and so the emphasis is on cultural exposure and enrichment. The classes had a much lighter work load comparatively to Cal Poly classes and most professors were very accomodating to our schedules. They realize that we are here to immerse in the environment and the best way is going out, exploring and socializing with the locals as much as possible. Now with that said these classes are all taught by regular Indian professors from the University whose style of teaching is very different. I also ended up going on a few class field study trips to see some urban projects. Overall the classes were very manageable and mostly enjoyable. And if you are truly interested in taking regular Christ University classes, Jacob let us work out a schedule that we could audit regular courses. He can actually get you into upper division classes, across most majors. Running Around Town Jacob and your Indian buddy will give you a good intro to Bangalore, but there's still a lot more to see! The first and second week were pretty good adjustment periods. Take the chance to walk to and from class and check out the side alleys along the way. Just be mindful, the vibrantly decorated walls and doors be someone's house and the corn on the street may belong to someone. Also there's a few places not within walking distance worth checking out. Any local markets are worth checking out, I ended up stumbling into them unintentionally and they turned out better than the site I was looking for. And when I say local market I mean like a veggie market or a random bazaar. They are always bound to be lively and full of unusual items worth checking out. Some of them are more well known than others like the pet market, worth asking Jacob or your buddy about. A few spots you're bound to see are commercial street, MG road, and brigade road (sometimes pronounced brigett). Commercial street is mostly souveneir shops, clothing stores, and food all bunched together in an area of a few blocks. The majority of the stores sell souveneirs and it definitely has bazaar vibe. To get there either take the bus (ask Jacob) or grab a rickshaw. Rickshaw should cost round 70 rupees one way from Christ College. MG road and Brigade road are connected. They're more western style and busy nonetheless. I personally thought MG/Brigade weren't much to see, but if you want a western feel and a few overpriced drinks that's the place to go. First Weekend Trip Once your settled in and ready for a different glimpse of India you'll definitely want to get out of Bangalore, albeit just for a weekend. There's a lot of options that can be done in a weekends time. Trying nearby there is Mysore and Nandi Hills. Going further out there's Shravana Belgola, Belur, and Halebidu for your historical sites. Mangalore and Goa have really nice beaches. And go to Hampi where you'll find lots of rock climbing, scrambling, and motorcycles. There's a few ways to get around including train, bus, and private car. ---- 'How's the Weather' Depending on when you go the temperature will range from very nice to very hot. January through April is a good time with 70F being normal throughout the day and slightly cooler in the night. It starts to heat up a bit going into April reaching the 80's. Then it really intensifies towards June and July going into 90's before it tapers off. Also humidity is a big factor, and it is always humid in the south. If you've ever been to Florida or something similar that's what you'll get. I found that I never needed anything more than a sweater unless your riding in a Rick shaw on a cool night or early morning. The smog and pollution are also pretty bad especially if you're going through an area of traffic. Not a whole lot you can do to avoid it, when you blow your nose the napkin will be black...If you do happen to get some nasal problems go to the pharmacy for some nasal spray. Another thing you might get to experience is the monsoon season when the rains really come down. The monsoon had arrived later than usual when I was there and I was already out of Bangalore by the time it really set in. But I did experience some heavy downpours heading into the monsoon. And you will get drenched, so a rainjacket could come in handy. Though umbrellas are pretty cheap there too. Also the streets tend to flood a bit during those downpours. ---- 'Food' When in Bangalore literally every other block has a restaurant, just depends what you're into. Your choices will be either Indian food or Indian food. There's also different styles of food from different regions of India. From my experience South Indian cusine is generally very spicey and also it seems to have more fried dishes. There are really very few places that don't serve Indian. But you may want to try it out once you get tired of eating dosas and curry. I'll just mention a few convenient spots here. By the way you can always ask to check out the menu before ordering and tip is not a custom here except for really nice places which tack on 5%. Eating Out on a Budget There are several great places to eat and it will cost you less than five dollars for a full meal. *Sagar - This place was a regular spot (veg), literally outside the gates to NGV go one block up in the direction toward Christ College and its an open restaurant with a big red sign outside, across the street from a large temple. Lots of veggie dishes, ice cream, shakes, coffee, tea, and all the usual indian curries and fried dishes. *The Fish Place - I dont know what this place was actually called but I'd go here pretty often for lunch between classes, by far my favorite restaurant. Lots of seafood dishes like shrimp, squid, fried fish. Try the coconut fish, it's a fish wrapped in a banana leaf with some coconut curry paste, definitely very different. They may not always have whats on the menu so good reason to try new things. They also hand you a cup of purple warm water which is boiled from beet I think. From Christ College walk back towards NGV and take the first right into a wide alley after you pass the temple by college. Then take your first left and it's next to a soda shop. *Forum Mall Food Court - Went here once or twice, it's a big food court in the mall across Christ College. Has your usual indian fast food joints along with some other random stuff like greek and chinese (Indian style of course). *Street Food - You'll know one when you see one, small wooden carts along the sidewalk with its own stove attached. These usually sell fried rice, noodles, samosa, and dosas. I have gotten sick more than once from eating at these places but they are an experience and for less than a buck for two plates of fried rice, you can't beat it. *The Chicken Place - This is a little pricier, but has really good roast chicken and mutton. One of the best meat places in town and good portions too. Just don't drink the water, seriously pretty sure they take it from the tap. One street behind the Vodafone store next to a small burger joint and across the street from an outdoors store. There's a sign with pictures of roasted meat outside and you have to go upstairs. *Big Tent - This place has a gujarati or rajasthani theme not quite sure. But it's a great place to try out roasted meats. There's a meat platter to share between three or four people and definitely fills you up for the night. Bit pricier (by Indian standards) to go yourself but a damn good deal with couple of friends. *Campus Dining - There's a couple of cafetaria's in campus with your usuals. Groceries ' *Forum mall - Has a large grocery outlet with fresh veggies and packaged goods. *Reliance Fresh - Good amounts of veggies, pretty cheap. *Local Markets - Local produce, good fresh foods and a fun experience. Will be a little out of your way to get to one though. *Star Bazaar - This place is like a wholefoods equivalent. It's about a 15 minute walk from NGV just make a left out of the NGV gate towards school and head straight down and you'll run into it. '''Splurging ' *Sufi - Authentic Persian restaurant with great kababs. Midway between NGV and Christ College, above the empire hotel. *White Elephant - Small little place with a waterfall outside. It's in the middle of a residential neighborhood by NGV may have to do some exploring to find it but well worth it. *Italian Restaurant - This one is right down the road from the Fish Place. Really great risotto with a bit of an Indian twist to it. Definitely try it out once your craving something from home. '''Snacks *Coconuts - For about the price of a quarter you can have a fresh young coconut to drink. *Smoothie Stands - These places are like Indian style jamba juices. Fresh squeezed smoothies and juices from the seasonal fruits. *Soda - Real old school, get at any shop or restaurant, it's a glass coke bottle and you leave the bottle behind to be cleaned and reused. ---- 'Getting Around' Within Bangalore - There's really only two viable means of transport in Bangalore. They were building a light rail when I was there but it looked like they still had a while to go. And there is always traffic in Bangalore...always. Still you can get almost anywhere in both Bangalore and India on a college budget through public transport. Plus its a bit of an experience good and bad. thumb|640px|left *Rick Shaws - The good ole rick shaw, these are what you picture when you say India. They're these little three wheeled yellow taxis found literally everywhere in Bangalore. Works just like a taxi back home...well sort of. They are supposed to run on the meter but the driver never agrees. Just skip the rickshaws that don't take meter until you find one that does, cause they will jack you. If you really can't find one, bargain them down in price. The cost of the ride depends on destination so tell them where you want to go and they'll say how much. The ride to school from NGV cost 30 rupees when I was there (that's the fair value). Pretty good deal when you split it between three people, that's as much as a bus ride and it'll get you there quicker. And we've fit as many as four people in a rick shaw once, but not all drivers will allow that. Definitely a fun way to get around town though. *Public Buses - As opposed to the rick shaws, buses will not try to jack your money. But you may have to wait around for the right one. There isn't really any clear marking indicating a bus stop but if there are lots of people standing around chances are it's the stop. Often you'll have to wave down the bus to let the driver know you want to get on. Once inside there will either be a dropbox for you to pay like in the States or there's a guy who collects the bus fare (not the driver). Buses here are really crowded too by the way and I mean Indian crowded. Often you might have to wait for the next one because you literally can't fit inside. And on busy buses, everyone ignores the line and its just all push and shove so get in while you can. *Scooter/Moped - This is by far the fastest option for getting around places and the funnest, but you will need to buy your own scooter. The cost of the scooter won't be more than a couple hundred bucks for a used one and you'll be able to sell it back. However, like getting a personal apartment it's a more troublesome option. For one the traffic in Bangalore is insane and it's pretty scary to ride around there your first time. Also if you don't have a garage, your scooter could very well get stolen. I borrowed a friend's and rode it around at night when traffic's not so bad. *Bicycle - Lots of people ride bikes around though not the most pleasant place in Bangalore with all the traffic and smog Getting Out of Bangalore *Buses - You can book a seat on private buses to almost any place in India. There are different classes available such as seater, semi sleeper, sleeper and AC or no AC. The seater bus is just a regular stiff seat. Semi Sleeper is a reclining seater like you would see in an airplane. The sleeper is a full on bed on the bus usually with two levels. FYI when you book your sleeper there are shared sleepers and solo sleepers so make sure you don't share a bed with some stranger. If you're going more than six hours by all means pay the extra bucks to get a sleeper bus. I've ridden buses for ten hours and as much as 28 hours and damn it's awful. These buses will usually be private though there will be government run buses as well for the non sleepers, the difference is private buses are cleaner and more comfortable. I used makemytrip.com and redbus.in to book the tickets. There's also travel shops around where you can do it. *Trains - Just like buses there are various classes of trains. Standing, seater, sleeper, AC. There are various grades within these classes too, usually the difference is how many people are in a cabin. You can buy the tickets either online at makemytrip.com or www.indianrail.gov.in (the government site). Another way is to buy it at the train station, there are a few but Majesty/Majestic is the main one. It's right across the street from the Majestic bus station also called Kempegowda. Some classes are only available at the train station. I wouldn't recommend it but if you are really desperate to catch a train you can take a standing ticket(only at the train station). It is way cheaper than any other ticket and for good reason. It is literally a cattle car with some seats and benches inside it. Also fills up fast, so catch the train car while its moving, usually the last two rail cars. *Private Car - You can find travel offices to arrange for a private car or van to take you somewhere for the weekend. Me and four other friends rented out a tata car during a bus strike. We had six people including the driver in a compact and one of us ended up sitting on the floor, still a great ride. Not a bad idea if you really want to go somewhere and can't find a bus or train. *Plane - There's definitely lots of nice flights in India. Service is actually better than most US flights. ---- 'Don't Feel too Well' If you do happen to run into any health problems there is a very modern hospital near Christ College. It's called Appollo hospital, make sure you go to the second hospital, you pass by another hospital first on your way there, not nearly as nice. The ride will take about 20 minutes if there is no traffic and you go through an underpass and pass a mall with a KFC (not the forum mall). ---- 'Seeing the Rest of India' Bangalore is really a great location to take weekend trips in south India. In my time there I was able to explore most of Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nada. And if you can, try and stick around a month after the end of the program to see north India. You'll notice some distinct differences from region to region and it is well worth your time to check out. ---- 'Last Impressions' India was an awesome place, rich in culture and diverse things to see. And the USAC program really did a good job in exposing us to a lot of what India had to offer. Much of the trip is what you make of it. If you're willing to try new things and venture out it will be a great time. Just be patient in India, the culture and customs are very different and Indians tend to go at their own pace. Category:Program Category:India